


A Birthday Gift

by RnameR



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Birthday Party, Birthday Presents, F/F, Femslash, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:01:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25096531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RnameR/pseuds/RnameR
Summary: Micheal reluctantly attends Tilly's birthday party and gives her an unexpectedly sweet gift.Fluff ensues.
Relationships: Michael Burnham/Sylvia Tilly
Comments: 3
Kudos: 39





	A Birthday Gift

Micheal tugged at the dress that Detmer had lent her, while they were the same size width-wise Detmer was a good few inches taller than her. Detmer looked like one of the statues of goddesses from ancient earth in the floor-length dress but Micheal felt she looked quite drowned. The silver material pooled around her feet as she attempted to walk without tripping. Still, she was dressed and Tilly would kill her if she was any later for the party than she already was. Not that she really wanted to go and watch the redheaded ensign drink and flirt while Micheal stood awkwardly on the sidelines. Her Vulcan upbringing had not imparted the knowledge of how to “get along at parties” and “let her hair down”. Still, she had promised, and while letting her hair down was a physical impossibility she hated to see Tilly disappointed.

The doors to the party opened with a soft swish. Before Micheal had a chance to observe the revellers a familiar pale freckled arm shot out and dragged her in by the wrist.

“Burnham! You came!” Sylvia Tilly chirped as she pulled Micheal into a wobbly one-armed hug, swaying on a pair of modestly high strappy sandals.

“Happy Birthday Tilly” Burnham responded, gently nonplussed by the red head’s enthusiasm. She pulled a small box from the pocket of her borrowed dress and pressed it into her friend’s hand. “For you, a present, customary” She added closing Tillys hand around the box.

“Oh my gosh, Burnham you didn’t have to. I’m just so happy you came. I know parties aren’t your favourite thing, here have a drink” Words poured as easily out of Tilly’s mouth as wine out of bottle from which she poured Micheal a slightly overfull glass. Micheal envied the easy way in which Tilly found words for every situation, granted, sometimes there were too many words, but better that than the uncomfortable blockage Micheal felt when confronted with something other than Zenoanthropological study or the inner workings of Starfleet command structures. She took the glass carefully and sipped the excess wine from the top to avoid spilling. Micheal watched as Tilly set down her drink and removed the lid of the small square navy blue box. Inside, sitting on a pad of green satin, was a small silver pendant delicately formed into the shape of a tardigrade.

“RIPPER! Oh, Micheal, this is so fucking cool!” Tilly squealed. She pulled the necklace out and let the box drop on the table next to her. She struggled with the clasp scrunching her mouth to the side in concentration.

“Tilly, sit.” said Micheal, sharper than she intended. Tilly complied and deposited herself on the nearby chair. She’d become used to Micheals direct approach to problems and handed over the pendant. Micheal lifted Tilly’s curly hair and slipped the delicate chain around her neck allowing herself to notice the softness of her friend’s skin and the way her bright hair made unruly spirals. Micheal checked her thoughts, attempting to pull her vulcan education to the fore. “There, done.” Michael withdrew her hands and clasped them behind her back.

“Thanks so much, Micheal, I love it.” said Tilly. She stood and gave Micheal a more measured hug than the one Tilly had greeted her with. “I’m so glad we managed to save him” Tilly whispered against Micheal’s neck.

“We needed to” Micheal said. She leaned her head to the side to rest against Tillys. Micheal felt the cushion of Tillys hair against her face. 

Tilly broke the embrace and gripped Micheals shoulders at arms length “Party.” she said emphatically, her brow falling into tipsy seriousness. Micheal smiled softened by the apparent seriousness with which Tilly takes the human ritual of birthday parties.

For the next few hours, Tilly gently pressed further drinks into Micheals hands, unsuccessfully attempted to convince her to dance, and showed every newcomer to the party the silver tardigrade. Tilly always came back to Micheal to share exactly how impressed each of the partygoers were with her gift. The party began to wind down. Micheal stayed watching crewmates and friends slowly bidding farewell to the redheaded ensign. Tilly, now wrapped in a banner emblazoned with “Happy Birthday Captain Killy”, flopped backwards onto a sofa at the back of the room. Micheal joined her, perching on the front edge of the sofa.

“Why do you look like you are going to make a break for it?” Tilly asked, indicating the gulf between the sofa cushions Micheal’s back. Micheal smiled and shuffled further back.

“I guess I’m just not used to feeling this comfortable.” She said turning to face Tilly with an expression that the other woman found difficult to read, especially in her current tipsy state. “Did you have fun at your party, Killy?” Micheal continued smirking. She moved her hand over the word on the banner that was wrapped around her friend.

“It’s a stupid joke, Stamets made the banner, I’m not “Killy” am I?” Tilly did finger quotes around her Terran counterparts nickname and scrunched her face in discomfort at the thought. Micheal nodded in agreement and considered telling Tilly she is infinitely kinder and just as strong as the inferior version they had come across. 

“I loved my party though, thanks so much for coming… I know you don’t like this sort of thing” Tilly said as she gently smiled and turned her head to look at Micheal on the sofa next to her. Micheal’s hand was still resting over the banner on her leg. Tilly slipped her hand down to cover it, her soft slightly boozy gaze moved to Micheal’s face.

Micheal took stock, she was sitting next to a friend. A genuine friend. They went running together, laughed together as they did so. Micheal was able to see Tilly’s red ponytail out of the corner of her eye when they ran and know that there was someone there who wanted to know her. The soft weight of Tilly’s hand and her gentle gaze from so close on the sofa made Micheal’s stomach lurch in a way as yet unfamiliar to her. She moved her torso, almost unwittingly so that they were resting shoulder to shoulder. Micheal looked out over the remains of the party. They were alone with a mess of discarded glasses, streamers and balloons. Her gaze returned to her friend. Micheal found that Tilly’s expression had changed. The soft content smile that had decorated her face had become serious, intense almost. She stayed locked in eye contact for what felt like a long time, their hands still resting together on Tilly’s thigh. Then suddenly words began to tumble uncontrollably from Tilly’s mouth.

“Micheal, if you keep sitting with me like this I’m going to kiss you and if you don’t want that this would be bad and I’ve now just told you that I want to kiss you and that is also bad but I guess it’s better than me kissing you out of the --” 

“Then kiss me.” said Micheal. Tilly opened her mouth, lost for words. Micheal noticed not for the first time the rise and of her friend’s chest as she breathed deeply. Tilly closed her mouth determinedly leaned across resting her forehead on Micheals. Then slowly tipping her head to the right she drew Micheal into long slow kiss. Tilly moved her hand to the back of Micheal’s head eagerly drawing her forward against her. The banner Tilly was still swathed in was crushed between them making uncomfortable folds that pushed against Micheal’s ribs. Micheal pulled away from the kiss, not because she wanted to. However she needed to in order to undress at least the unorthodox outer layer of her friend. Micheal tugged at the banner at Tilly’s shoulders Tilly giggling as she lifted her bum so that Micheal could slip the banner onto the floor infront of them.

Micheal noted that this may be the most beautiful look Tilly had had since they met. Which was impressive considering the broad catalogue of Tilly’s beautiful smiles that Micheal had for some reason stored in her memory. Tilly’s had moved to her neckline and touched the silver tardigrade. They leaned in again unencumbered by Stamets banner. As they kissed again Micheal attempted to recall every time she had fallen more in love with Sylvia Tilly.


End file.
